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Employment Trends for 2022

Posted on Feb 24, 2022

The Harvard Business Review recently produced its Top Employment Trends in 2022 Report. The article raises the ongoing issue of the COVID pandemic on the workplace. Remote work, corporate wellness, occupational health and a hybrid work environment have also become hot topics.

Here are the 11 employment trends:

  1. Employee fairness and equity
  2. Vaccine mandates
  3. Work week changes
  4. Employee turnover
  5. Employee automation
  6. Work productivity
  7. Hybrid (office/remote) workforce
  8. Corporate wellness support
  9. The Chief Purpose Officer (CPO)
  10. Sitting will be the new pandemic
  11. Employee Promotion and salaries may be better tied to in-the-office employees

Read the article

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A Permanent Placement Agency May Become Your Best Hiring Asset

Posted on Feb 01, 2020

Good news again.  The latest jobs report stated that the US unemployment rate has reached its lowest level in 50 years at a record low 3.5% in December 2019.  The US has, for the 22nd straight month, seen this rate at or below 4%.  Hiring has not slowed down in 2020, and companies are continuously adding essential headcount.  The demand has placed pressure on Human Resources departments to keep up with the pace of hiring.  Sometimes a permanent placement employment agency can be a viable partner.

According to Glassdoor, “unfilled jobs in the US tech market alone add up to a value of $20.1 billion.”  Additionally, the US Job Vacancy rate in October 2019 was 7,267,000 people.  Over the 12 months ending in November, hires totaled 69.8 million and separations totaled 67.5 million, yielding a net employment gain of 2.3 million. These totals include workers who may have been hired and separated more than once during the year.

Having a vacant position often impacts a company in dollars, directly and indirectly, in ways more than just salary.  There is also the cost of advertising, background checks and drug screening, along with intangible cost of a vacant spot.  Especially in a smaller business, the time spent internally recruiting through job boards may take up a month and cost upwards of $10,000.  Most employees generate revenue for their company up to three times their yearly salary during 220 working days of a calendar year. 

When a company’s Human Resources Department partners with an efficient employment specialist at a permanent placement agency, there can be a high level of complimentary recruitment support.  A permanent employment agency provides recruitment expertise.  These recruitment firms keep up with the pace of employment hiring trends, recruiting practices, industry knowledge, and technology as it quickly evolves.

A permanent placement agency can handle all the sourcing, candidate pipelining, pre-screening and marketing/advertising for an HR Department.  The agency constantly navigates, sources, identifies, and interviews specialized talent pools of candidate.  It’s what they focus on, it’s what they do! 

There is also a deep advantage of partnering with a full service employment agency that handles both temp and permanent placements.  An agency that has employed, observed and enjoyed a positive on-the-job work history with qualified candidates can be an asset for a new full time position.  The employment agency clients deem these candidates as high performing, diligent, and, most importantly, reliable dependable. 

Sometimes these stellar temporary employees are just waiting and hoping for the opportunity to become a permanently placed employee somewhere; and for a client, it’s a vacancy filled!  There’s also less risk hiring a candidate who has survived the trial period, while being observed closely as a temporary employee.  A file full of client feedback exists, with a built-in review!

2020 is a new year and sometimes a new budget.  There are opportunities to stay competitive with talent acquisition by aligning with experts.  A permanent placement agency can quickly fill replacements and add new staff.  They can assist with productivity and absorb the burden of full time job vacancies.

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The Modern Age temp job through a Temp Agency in NJ is not your Granny’s Gig.

Posted on Nov 08, 2019

In postwar America, temporary jobs in NJ were created to fill a genuine need for businesses that needed help when their employees were sick, on vacation, or otherwise not able to work for short periods.  They were stereo-typically ‘bad’ jobs with lower wages, no benefits or job security.  In the 1970’s, they were lower-skilled positions in the industrial industry or female workers with typing and accounting skills.  In the 1980’s, a positive about-face took place with temporary (“temp”) jobs being viewed as a legitimate career, providing family-sustaining employment and the benefit of worker flexibility.  By the year 2000, 90% of companies supplemented their full-time staff with 3 million temporary employees.  In the State of NJ, 124,400 Temp Agency workers are hired weekly across 1,250 companies, fulfilling a sizable sector of American employment.  According to the US Census Bureau, “More than 500,000 temporary and part-time jobs are available as the Census Bureau ramps up hiring to conduct the 2020 Census next year.  Pay ranges from $13 to $30 an hour, depending on where you live”.

Today Temporary Agency workers who work at Temp Agencies in NJ are performing highly skilled tasks and utilizing their broadened range of educational qualifications and history of accomplishments.  Temps bring useful and professional skills for many reasons.  They may have been downsized or laid off from a corporation after years of successful contributions, company outsourcing, globalization, or technological changes – gone is the era of a lifetime career or a lifelong job. 

Today’s modern temp or permatemp positions integrate the tech world in significant ways.  As an emerging career trend, a contractor, or temp, is not treated as a commodity, but as a professional, valued as much as a full time employee of the company.   While the unemployment rate is at the lowest since 1969, the US is reaching the tipping point of more open jobs than temps to fill them.  Temporary workers who work in NJ are reaping benefits of a multitude of open opportunities, often in companies of their own choice.  It’s not just about the job anymore, but more about how the company relates to the candidate.  Temp Agencies with a presence in NJ have shifted the mindset and treat a candidate more like a customer, heavily engaging and attracting this current smaller pool of candidates to their client’s companies.

Prior to placing a temp with a new client, the Temp Agency in NJ feels the importance of meeting with and touring the client’s facility, viewing firsthand live engagement of the team, especially in the department in which the temp will be working.  Staffing has evolved into a “try before you buy” status, which repeatedly proves successful for both the temp and the NJ Temp Agency.  It’s a cost-effective way to recruit and test abilities of a worker before transitioning them to full-time permanent.  The Temp Agency bears the burden of recruiting, payroll expenses, and workers compensation.  

A company asks the Temp Agency to look for a temp who will create an environment of assimilation.  The company nurtures and treats the temporary worker as a valuable, beneficial and profitable team member of the staff.  At the same time, a strong Temp Agency with a presence in NJ encourages the temp, “If you work at a high level, you’ll raise your chances of being hired permanent”, and is always thrilled to hear from the temp, “I did it, I’m going Perm”!  One more success story.

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Tips on How to Answer 5 Tricky Interview Questions

Posted on Sep 04, 2019

Interviews can be pretty scary, especially when you are asked tricky interview questions that you do not know, or questions that you know should not be asked.

Try to stay calm and confident, no matter what is asked, and do not display body language that you are unnerved or upset.  It’s normal to experience a brain freeze during interview questions. Present the appearance that you are thinking of an example.  Some people are offered jobs even when the interviewer expects your difficulty answering each question.  He or she doesn’t need total perfection which may rebound and seem too rehearsed.

You can always ask the interviewer to “please rephrase the question” which will allow more time to interpret a scenario and give appropriate feedback.

Some interviewers skip regular questions and instead propose trickier ones to gauge your reaction, response time, and to observe how you communicate under pressure.

Here are some tips to help you prepare for uncomfortable interview questions, reduce some anxiety beforehand, and avoid total panic. 

1. “When did you graduate college?”

This falls into the category of ‘asking your age’.  You may choose to answer or not answer or instead respond, “My work performance will not be affected by my age”.  You might also state that you’re not sure why the interviewer needs to know.

2. “What are your salary requirements?”

Take the time to research similar job’s salaries and benefits prior to the interview.  During the interview, try to hold back throwing out numbers.  If you already know what the job’s salary range is, you can simply answer, “I am aware of the salary range, and it falls within my requirement”.  If you don’t know the range, you can ask, “What is the salary range for this position”?  If it meets your need, your response can be, “With my experience and skills, I’m flexible and open to negotiation, in order to be paid properly”.

3. “What is your biggest weakness?”

The interviewer wants to know what you identify as a weakness and if you are even mindful that you have one.  Be humble, we all have them.  Give a particular example of how you solved something that you felt was not a strength, such as efficiency and time management, which ultimately improved your productivity on a job.

4. “Do you have a family?”

An interviewer cannot ask anyone’s their marital status or if their spouse works.  They also are not permitted to ask if you have children or any childcare situation.  They may ask if you have a pre-planned vacation or previously scheduled medical or dental appointment.  It is best to offer this information before the job begins so the employer anticipates and is not surprised by sudden absences.

5. “Why do you want to work here and why should I hire you?”

It is a good idea to do your research on the company, its values, and their mission statement.  Be further enlightened by reviewing the interviewer’s LinkedIn profile, if available.  Knowing his or her background and why they may have chosen to work in the company will give you an opportunity to discuss the company’s goals and what you can bring to the table.  Highlight your specific skills and in relation to the specific position.  Finally, if it feels as if the company will be a comfortable working environment, go ahead and express your interest in joining the organization.  If it feels uncomfortable to work in, you may simply wish to end the interview

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Common Resume Blunders

Posted on May 01, 2018

1.Too Focused on Job Duties
One of the most prevalent resume blunders is to turn a resume into a boring listing of job duties and responsibilities. Many people even use company job descriptions as guides to developing their resumes. To create a resume that is a cut above the rest, you should go beyond showing what was required of you and demonstrate how you made a difference at each company. Provide specific examples of how the company benefited from your performance. When developing your achievements, ask yourself the following questions:

  • How did you perform the job better than others would have?
  • What were the problems or challenges that you or the organization faced?
  • What did you do to overcome the problems?
  • What were the results of your efforts?
  • How did the company benefit from your performance?

2. Objective Statement that Is Flowery or Too General
Many candidates lose their readers from the very beginning of the resume: The objective statement. The worst objective statements start with, “A challenging position that will enable me to contribute to organizational goals while offering an opportunity for growth and advancement.” This type of statement is overused and too general and therefore wastes valuable space. If you are on a career track, consider replacing the objective with a tagline, which is a statement of what you do or what your area of specialty is.

3. Too Short or Too Long
Too many people try to squeeze their experiences onto one page, because they’ve heard that a resume should never be longer than one page. When formatting the resume to fit on one page, many job seekers delete their impressive achievements. The reverse is also true. Take the candidate who rambles on and on for pages about irrelevant or redundant experiences; the reader will easily be bored. When writing your resume, ask yourself, “Will this statement help me land an interview?” Only include information that elicits the answer “yes”.
The rule about the appropriate length of a resume is that there is no rule. Factors that go into the decision regarding length include occupation, industry, years of experience, scope of accomplishments and education. The most important guideline is that every word in the resume should sell the candidate.

4. Use of Personal Pronouns and Articles
A resume is a form of business communication, so it should be concise and written in a telegraphic style. There should not be any mention of “I” or “me,” and only minimal use of articles. Here is an example:
The statement:
I developed a new product that added $2 million in sales and increased the gross margin of the market segment by 12 percent.
Should be changed to:
Developed new product that added $2 million in sales and increased gross margin of market segment by 12 percent.

5. Listing Personal or Irrelevant Information
Many people include their interests, such as reading, hiking, snowboarding, etc. These should only be included if they relate to the job objective. For example, if a candidate is applying for a position as a ski instructor, he or she should list cross-country skiing as a hobby.
Personal information, such as date of birth, marital status, height and weight, should normally not be included on the resume. There are several exceptions, however, such as some entertainment professionals and job seekers outside of the United States.

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Weighing Costs, Companies Favor Temporary Help

Uncategorized
Posted on Dec 23, 2010

The New York Times recently ran a compelling cover story on how companies are increasing their usage of temporary employees every month. American businesses are still concerned about adding full times jobs, and labor experts acknowledge that temporary employees will become a larger, more entrenched part of the work force. This year, 26.2 percent of all jobs added by private sector employers were temporary positions.

Read the NY times article

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